Bed back rest



Feb. 7, 1950 J. E. MORGAN 2,496,592

BED BACK REST Filed April 26, 1945 INVENTOR. JA/VZIS' Ema/WAN BY Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES J PATEN-T OFFICE 1 I My origination pertains to a bed back-rest, intended, for instance, to contributetoward convenience and comfort while reading in bed;

One object of my invention has been the design of a structure which is durable, readily manipulated, adjustable not only to formation of various angles with the end panel of the bed, but to varying elevations clearofthe bedding, while being sufiiciently economical of manufacture.

Another object has been anad'ded' facility in attaching to or detaching from the'bed.

A further object has been to provide a yielding connectdon'between my appliance and the" bed, which will not marany polished surface of the latter and which will permit of a limited range structural assembly or arrangement which will permit of its folded retentionagainst a, bed panel when not in use, with the back-rest proper and connections therewith in juxtaposition, without interfering with sleeping comfort and which is readily unfoldable by a mere outward pull of the lower end of the constantly suspended back-rest to allow another member gravitationally to fall to a predetermined positionv and to serve as a strut between the back-rest and bed panel.

Upon future consideration; it is to be realized that the scope of my invention comprehend's many equivalent constructions and that the showing of the drawings and of specific descriptionsare intended merely to exemplify a plurality'nf'inechanical embodiments and arrangements.

Adverting tothe drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of oneend of a bedshowing my originated appliance in functionating position thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure I, but also showing certain parts in an alternative (folded) position, by means of dot and dash marks.

Figure 3 is an adequately enlarged view of certain adjustably connected parts, corresponding to Figure 2 as to their full-line illustration, butw ith an extended adjustment of one of two duplicated extensible and contractible connections and also, by'dot and dash position, an adjustment iniobliquity of the back-rest proper which is accomplished by the adjustment of the length of the strut.

Figure 4 is a still further enlarged showing turned through an angle-0f ninety degrees, as a broken plan view, of a'common slot and-wingnut adjustment means.

4- Claims.

Figure 5 is a view of a modification as an equivalent of one, not indispensable, detail in full and in dot-an'd-dash line positions.

An appliance. of the character to be next described; as to the details of its exemplifying structure, should greatly increase the comfort and therefore the satisfaction to be derived from reading or working in bed. My design is light in weight hence easily handled, may be quickly mounted in place and readily folded and dis placed against the head panel of the bed preparatory to reclining for sleeping or, if desired, entirely removed'from the bed-with equal facility. It should also be adjustable as to one dimension and should have stability of any selected angular relationshipof' its back-rest proper with respect tothe head panel ofthe bed. The mentioned-list of preferable features are all supplied by my construction which'is' shown associated with a bed frame 1, comprising a head panel 2 and mattress 3. The primary support of my appliance is to be by suspension from the upper edge of the head panel and the variant design of the latter is of no consequence-to the" universal applicability of my invention, presupposing the adjustments which I haveprovid'ed to be of sufficient range in 'the commercially adopted arrangement.

The back-rest frame, as shown in Figure 1 comprises a pair of spaced-hangers 4 which may be composed of any "suitably strong material, metal or perhaps plywood. Each hanger 4 terminates above as a hook 5 having a bight of adequate width for straddling varying thicknesses of upper edges of head panels, is of inherent resiliencyand desirably carries, on the inner side of its hook; afelt pad 6 or any other cushioning element adapted to prevent marring of any polished surfaceof theenga'ged bed portion. Besides its frictional hold, the inherent resiliency of the-hook will exercise-an additional function to be hereinafter "explained. Each of the hangers 4 is provided near its lower end with an elongated-slot 9, or alternativelyasingle hanger has spaced slots as *most clearly shown in Figure 4 though turned there through an angle of ninety degrees and modified'byshowing a single hanger 4a.

A back-rest proper 8 is supplied near its upper edge-with a-pair of holes which are corresponds inglyspa-e'ed" as, and adapted to register with,-the slots respectively, whereby the common extensible and contractible connection may be effected through the agency of bolt and wingnut combinations l-B', as will be readily understood for accommodation of overall distances between the top of the head panel and the cushioned upper surface ofbeds. A- clasp H is carriedby the backsupp'orting panel-"B 5 midway of the hangers 4' and detachably suspends an ordinary bedpit low l2.

Theslower edge-of the panel: 8 is hinged: at I 3 several of the figures whereby, when the com- I posite structures l4, l5, l6 and I! are in the positions shown in Figures 1 to 3, the function of the composite strut 14-46 may be exercised to maintain the chosen obliquity of the panel 8. Manifestly, as the composite strut is lengthened the resiliency of the hooks 5 along with the yield of the cushions 5 become brought into play.

Finally, a lower, triangular connection is effected by an upholding strap or tie 18 attached at its lower end at 19 to the composite strut i4l 6 and at its upper end at 20 to the panel 8 a suitable distance from the hinges I3 respectively. The purpose of the strap I8 is to uphold the free end of the composite strut when in its functionating position. As an obvious equivalent of the flexible strap (8, a linkage comprising, for instance, a pair of links, [8a and 18b pivotally connected end to end may be employed. They are pivotally connected, one additionally with the member l4 and the other pivotally connected with the panel 8. In either case, a foldable arrangement is provided whereby the appliance in its entirety may assume the dot and dash position indicated in Figure 2 which is its inutile arrangement.

In substitution for the strap i8 or equivalent links, I8a-I8b, there might be either a stophinge limited in its opening movement to the angle preferred between the back-rest and strut or a frictional resistance might be established at the pivot point l3 adequate normally to hold the strut in its desired position.

Subject only to commercial feasibility, the entire assembly, excepting the tie i8 and any cushions, might be molded as an integral unit, whether of some suitable plastic or of plywood, though, of course, the desirable adjustability and folding features would then not be present.

I claim:

1. A bed back-rest comprising a back-rest structure including means for suspending it from a bed panel, spacing means hingedly connected to the lower end of said back-rest, said means comprising longitudinally adjustable sections and holding means connecting the back-rest structure and the spacing means adapted to limitthe hinge-opening movement, said spacing means i acting to space the lower edge of saidback-rest structure from said bed panel and to hold said back-rest in an oblique position 2. In an appliance of the class described intended to have its upper end merely hooked over, and to have its lower end in contact only with, the head panel of a bed; the combination of a back-rest structure having hooks attached to the upper end thereof for engaging the bed panel, a strut having its one end hingedly connected with the lower end of said back-rest structure and adapted, while constantly elevated above the bedding, alternatively to have its other end buttress against the head panel or to fold against the latter and a flexible-strap connection between said back-rest structure and strut, both points of connection of said strap being spaced from the hinged connection whereby'to limit the hinge-opening movement. i

3. In a bed back-rest, the combination of a pair of members pivotally connected to each other adjacently their ends, one of said members being upright and having means at its upper end serving to hang it from a bed panel to adapt it as a back-rest, the other one of said members adapted to serve as a compression member extending rearwardly between the lower end of the back-rest and bed panel and stop means carried by one of said members to limit the angular movement therebetween, the arrangement being such as to permit the structure to be retained at the bed panel and folded against the latter when not in use Without interfering with sleeping comfort and being readily unfoldable by a mere outward pull of the lower end of the constantly suspended back-rest to allow the compression member gravitationally to fall as limited by said stop means whereby to serve as a strut.

4. In a bed back-rest, the combination of an upright member including means at its upper end adapting it to be hung from a bed panel and to serve as a back-rest, a second, rearwardly extending member having one end pivotally connected with the lower portion of the back-rest member and having its other end adapted to abut the bed panel thereby being a compression strut between the back-rest member and bed panel and a strap having its ends connected to said back-rest and to said strut respectively and having each of its ends a certain distance from the pivotal connection between said members, said strap being adapted, while in tension, to limit the movement in one direction between said back-rest and strut, the entire structure being intended to be hung above the bedding so as constantly to be independent of movements to which the bedding is subject, whether folded against the bed panel or unfolded by gravitational release of said strut to its functionating position as limited by said strap upon manual withdrawal of the lower end of the back-rest away from the bed panel.

JAMES E. MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 177,511 Hoffmann May 16, 1876 471,895 Reeves Mar. 29, 1892 606,763 Lukens July 5, 1898 635,579 Nixon Oct. 24, 1899 775,482 White Nov. 22, 1904 822,472 Perkins June 5, 1906 858,908 Rauch July 2, 1907 883,330 McClanahan Mar. 31, 1908 969,099 Fuchs Aug. 30, 1910 969,351 La Dow Sept. 6, 1910 982,558 Abbot Jan. 24, 1911 1,098,126 Reich May 26, 1914 1,163,945 Murdock Dec. 14, 1915 1,174,755 Mullen Mar. 7, 1916 1,275,607 Saunders Aug. 13, 1918 1,305,922. Moller June 3, 1919 1,351,746 Eberle Sept. 7, 1920 1,660,043 Nemeth et al Feb. 21, 1928 1,673,433 Wheeler et al June 12, 1928 2,245,121 Abresch June 10, 194i FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,764v Great Britain June 11, 1909 448,368 Great Britain June 8,1936 

